Washington — Federal investigators are looking into whether Iranian hackers tried to target people connected to the Trump and Biden-Harris presidential campaigns. Three people familiar with the investigation confirmed this information to CBS News.

What Happened?

The FBI started these investigations in early summer after both campaigns experienced attempted phishing attacks. Phishing is when hackers try to trick people into giving away personal information, like passwords, by pretending to be someone they trust. In this case, it’s believed that hackers supported by Iran might be responsible.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the FBI’s investigation.

Trump Campaign’s Allegations

The news came after the Trump campaign claimed it had been hacked, and they believe Iranian hackers were involved. Former President Donald Trump’s team said sensitive internal documents were stolen and shared by these hackers.

Though they didn’t provide many details directly linking Iran to the hack, the claim came after a report from Microsoft. The report mentioned that in June, an Iranian military intelligence group sent a fake email (spear-phishing) to a high-ranking official in one of the presidential campaigns. They did this using a hacked email account of a former senior advisor.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, blamed “foreign sources hostile to the United States” for the attack.

Biden-Harris Campaign’s Response

The Biden-Harris campaign responded by saying they are always on the lookout for cyber threats and take steps to protect their systems. However, they stated that they are not aware of any security breaches affecting their campaign. Source

Conclusion

The FBI is continuing to investigate these hacking attempts, which highlight the ongoing risks of cyberattacks during elections. With both campaigns taking these threats seriously, it’s clear that cybersecurity remains a top priority as the 2024 presidential election approaches.